The International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry released an upbeat report yesterday that revealed that not only was legal downloading up threefold in the first half of 2005, but also that the battle against illegal downloading was having an effect, apparently.
The new report says that there were 180 million legal downloads worldwide in the first half of 2005, three times the number of tracks legally downloaded in the first half of last year. The growth of broadband internet and an increase in the number of legal download platforms are sure to have played a role in that increase.
On the illegal distribution of music online, the report admitted that illegal file sharing has increased 3% since January, but stressed that that increase was very low compared with the growth of legal downloading. They also point to research that showed one in three of those interviewed in the UK and US said they would not download music from illegal sources because of fear of litigation being launched against them by the music industry. 14,227 such lawsuits have now been launched in 12 countries.
Commenting on the new stats, IFPI boss John Kennedy told reporters: "We are now seeing real evidence that people are increasingly put off by illegal file-sharing and turning to legal ways of enjoying music online. Whether it's the fear of getting caught breaking the law, or the realisation that many networks could damage your home PC, attitudes are changing, and that is good news for the whole music industry."